PFL Posted October 17, 2012 Share Posted October 17, 2012 This is a public plea to all you talented guys and gals on this wonderful forum. This December will be the 30th anniversary of ET: The Extra Terrestrial video game. Everyone knows that the game is flawed and frustrating due to the short development time given to HSW. I believe that under the rough exterior there lies the potential for a polished diamond and I would love to see it shine one day... Therefore, my plea is this: Would someone (anyone!) be willing to take this 30 year old embarrassment and finally make good on the potential that this game has? I know it's a little cheeky to ask (and I certainly don't have the skill to make it myself) but wouldn't a GOOD game based on ET make a great Christmas present?? Come on guys, this is your chance to help all those children damaged some 30 years ago by corporate hubris and greed. Please, make the children smile again... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bakasama Posted October 17, 2012 Share Posted October 17, 2012 Umm, do you have any idea HOW to make this a better game? I'd think the would help a lot to the any would be hackers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rev Posted October 17, 2012 Share Posted October 17, 2012 I envision hundreds of the new 2012 version of ET buried in Albert back yard. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PFL Posted October 17, 2012 Author Share Posted October 17, 2012 (edited) Indeed I do! I just didn't want to come across any more presumptuous than I already did in the OP... Two things that need tweaked right away would be making the pits smaller and also making ET climb out quicker. Also, not having pits attached to the screen border causing insta-falls would help massively! On top of that tweaking ET's teleport so that he doesn't land on top of the holes would be good. If it's at all possible changing the agent and doctor behaviour would help too. Why can they fly over the holes?! Surely, they should have to avoid them? There's many more tweaks and changes but these would make a great difference. EDIT: Nice, Revolutionika, nice. Edited October 17, 2012 by PFL 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NE146 Posted October 17, 2012 Share Posted October 17, 2012 yeah.. not bad ideas really. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian O Posted October 17, 2012 Share Posted October 17, 2012 ET gets a lot of crap, but I played the hell out of that when I was a kid. It's really not that bad a game, all things considered. A hacked version, put on cart, with a new 30th Anniversary label / box would be cool. -B 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian O Posted October 17, 2012 Share Posted October 17, 2012 Something like this: 12 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
godzillajoe Posted October 17, 2012 Share Posted October 17, 2012 Isn't there already a smaller pits hack? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KevinMos3 Posted October 17, 2012 Share Posted October 17, 2012 Something like this: Oh, mah goodness. I love it! Personally, I've always liked ET on the 2600. I believe it was in the first batch of games I got for Christmas with my Atari and I don't ever remember a time when I, my brother, even my parents, or friends had anything bad to say about it. I remember mom used to like watching us play Jungle Hunt and she also liked watching us find phone pieces and especially the flower in ET. I liked the game so much that I designed what I called "Super ET" as a sequel. It was just a bunch of drawings, mapping out screens and objectives. They probably still exist in a folder somewhere at my parents house. I have a goal to eventually learn to program for the 2600 (and hopefully the 7800), and when I do, I will try to put those old designs to use. That goal is years away though. A more immediate project could be someone programming a the A-8bit version of ET for the 2600 or 7800. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PFL Posted October 17, 2012 Author Share Posted October 17, 2012 That mock-up is class - in fact, that's my new desktop background! @godzillajoe; I've never seen that hack. It certainly isn't in the 2600 hacks part of the AA site. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skud Posted October 17, 2012 Share Posted October 17, 2012 Isn't there already a smaller pits hack? I heard there was a smaller hole hack too, there's http://www.atariage.com/hack_page.html?SystemID=2600&SoftwareHackID=26 but I don't think he made the holes smaller I do wonder what it would have turned out to be if the dev had six months to make it instead of six weeks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoulBlazer Posted October 17, 2012 Share Posted October 17, 2012 I think a lot of it comes down to, do you want a ET Adventure or a Action game? HSW has said in interviews that when he showed the game to Steven Spielburg that the latter commented that he had in mind a action game. That's probaly what the public expected also, and it would have been easier to program in the six weeks he was given. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bakasama Posted October 18, 2012 Share Posted October 18, 2012 @ PFL Now that's what I'm talking about. I mean you call on hackers to make ET better without suggestions on how to do it. Some might think that some random yahoo like Hardwork suggested such an idea. Now, on the topic on hand, I recall that ET shares some of the same coding as Raiders of the Lost Ark. Now, I'm not sure if that's true but some gameplay of Raiders put into ET might make the game more interesting. Like using the second joystick to select and use ET's power. I did have a hack idea some years ago, it was a color/graphics hack of ET called Escape from Neverland. The scientist would be Michael Jackson, the FBI agent would be security, and Elliott would be Bubbles. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Impaler_26 Posted October 18, 2012 Share Posted October 18, 2012 ET is not a bad game, i played it a lot and still enjoy it nowadays. If you're looking for hacks - try these: E.T. - The Extra-Terrestrial Easy Pits (E.T. Hack) (2001) (Scott Stilphen).bin E.T. - The Extra-Testical (E.T. Hack) (2001) (Christian Samuel).bin E.T. on Acid (E.T. Hack) (2003) (Brad Barratt).bin 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Random Terrain Posted October 18, 2012 Share Posted October 18, 2012 The E.T. anniversary might be why the Mayans said we're all going to die in December. Here are a couple of useful links for the original game: E.T. Map E.T. Tips and Reminders Here are few related videos: www.youtube.com/watch?v=mcAoIThBDyA http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mcAoIThBDyA http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zh4U3BwlTcY http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A8bR4xsNgIA 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schizophretard Posted October 18, 2012 Share Posted October 18, 2012 I don't think the pits need to be smaller. I would prefer vertical and horizontal scrolling. It would feel more like moving around a globe. You would be able to see a pit before you fall in it. I would also prefer the sides of the pits to be steps so that hovering and crawling out would be options. I would like more screens to find more things. Maybe 4 screens for each side of the cube. I would like to find E.T.'s Halloween ghost suit to give the ability to be disguised for a limited time. I would like to not just find phone pieces but also Elliot's bike pieces. You give him the bike and he flies you to the phone home zone. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andromeda Stardust Posted October 18, 2012 Share Posted October 18, 2012 How about an Xmas ET game? Instead of ET, you play Santa, and instead of pits, you drop down chimneys? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nukey Shay Posted October 18, 2012 Share Posted October 18, 2012 Some of what is described above (scrolling, additional objects, more action-oriented) is already part of the 8-bit version "ET Phone Home". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atari Adam Posted October 18, 2012 Share Posted October 18, 2012 Oh, mah goodness. I love it! Personally, I've always liked ET on the 2600. I believe it was in the first batch of games I got for Christmas with my Atari and I don't ever remember a time when I, my brother, even my parents, or friends had anything bad to say about it. I remember mom used to like watching us play Jungle Hunt and she also liked watching us find phone pieces and especially the flower in ET. I liked the game so much that I designed what I called "Super ET" as a sequel. It was just a bunch of drawings, mapping out screens and objectives. They probably still exist in a folder somewhere at my parents house. I have a goal to eventually learn to program for the 2600 (and hopefully the 7800), and when I do, I will try to put those old designs to use. That goal is years away though. A more immediate project could be someone programming a the A-8bit version of ET for the 2600 or 7800. Oh, mah goodness. I love it! Personally, I've always liked ET on the 2600. I believe it was in the first batch of games I got for Christmas with my Atari and I don't ever remember a time when I, my brother, even my parents, or friends had anything bad to say about it. I remember mom used to like watching us play Jungle Hunt and she also liked watching us find phone pieces and especially the flower in ET. I liked the game so much that I designed what I called "Super ET" as a sequel. It was just a bunch of drawings, mapping out screens and objectives. They probably still exist in a folder somewhere at my parents house. I have a goal to eventually learn to program for the 2600 (and hopefully the 7800), and when I do, I will try to put those old designs to use. That goal is years away though. A more immediate project could be someone programming a the A-8bit version of ET for the 2600 or 7800. This is a great idea. I would totally buy this Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Impaler_26 Posted October 18, 2012 Share Posted October 18, 2012 How about an Xmas ET game? Instead of ET, you play Santa, and instead of pits, you drop down chimneys? You mean something like this? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andromeda Stardust Posted October 18, 2012 Share Posted October 18, 2012 You mean something like this? What game is that? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fernando marrin Posted October 19, 2012 Share Posted October 19, 2012 easily done, just remove pits ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Impaler_26 Posted October 19, 2012 Share Posted October 19, 2012 What game is that? I had the same idea as you a few years ago and i tried (and failed) to port the old C64 PD game Down the Chimney to the 2600. This is just an old concept-demo i made and i never got anywhere with it. But i think someone who actually can program could make a nice 2600 game out of it. Anyway, here's the ROM - have a good laugh! chimney006.bas.bin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andromeda Stardust Posted October 19, 2012 Share Posted October 19, 2012 (edited) I had the same idea as you a few years ago and i tried (and failed) to port the old C64 PD game Down the Chimney to the 2600. This is just an old concept-demo i made and i never got anywhere with it. But i think someone who actually can program could make a nice 2600 game out of it. Anyway, here's the ROM - have a good laugh! chimney006.bas.bin Judging by the one screenshot, what do you do, dodge the walls? I'll put this in my Harmony later... Edited October 19, 2012 by stardust4ever Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Impaler_26 Posted October 19, 2012 Share Posted October 19, 2012 Judging by the one screenshot, what do you do, dodge the walls? I'll put this in my Harmony later... Yep, you're falling down the chimney and have to dodge the walls. It's a stay on track racing game. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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